Background
Strategically
important, Gibraltar was ceded to Great Britain by Spain in the 1713
Treaty of Utrecht; the British garrison was formally declared a colony
in 1830. In a 1967 referendum, Gibraltarians ignored Spanish pressure
and voted overwhelmingly to remain a British dependency. Spain and the
UK are discussing the issue of Gibraltar and have set the goal of
reaching an agreement by mid-2002.
Gibraltar
benefits from an extensive shipping trade, offshore banking, and its
position as an international conference center. The British military
presence has been sharply reduced and now contributes about 11% to the
local economy. The financial sector accounts for 20% of GDP; tourism
(almost 6 million visitors in 1998), shipping services fees, and duties
on consumer goods also generate revenue. In recent years, Gibraltar has
seen major structural change from a public to a private sector economy,
but changes in government spending still have a major impact on the
level of employment
Holidays
Jan 1 - New Year's Day
Mar 8 - Commonwealth Day
Mar 25* - Good Friday
Mar 28* - Easter Monday
May 1 - May Day
May 2* - May Bank Holiday
Jun 11* - Queen's Birthday
Aug 29* - Late Summer Bank Holiday
Sept 10 - Gibraltar National Day
Dec 25 - Christmas Day
Dec 26 - Boxing Day
Ps: These festivals' dates (*) given above are approximations which are subject to change every new year.
Phone Codes
Country Code: 350
Outgoing International Code: 00
Resources
Market Research
United Kingdom and Gibraltar Consular Information Sheet
Provides consular services from the U.S, Department of State
Gibraltar Chronicle
Major newspaper
CIA - The World Factbook - Gibraltar
This
website indicates a wide range of detail information about Gibraltar by
introducing under 8 different fields as its geography, people,
government, economy, communications, transportation, military,
transnational issues.
About Gibraltar
There
is available to find out Gibraltar's general outlook on the issues of
its social and business profile, passport/visa, money, accommodation,
government, duty free, health and so forth.
Trade Information
Gibraltar Trade
Promotes trade and commerce in Gibraltar
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